Blackburn enjoying 'busier than Christmas' retail boom (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Blackburn enjoying 'busier than Christmas' retail boom

8:40am Thursday 9th September 2010 in

By Tom Moseley » Reporter

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BLACKBURN is enjoying a retail boom as thousands of extra shoppers flock to the town's £66million new shopping centre.

Footfall has leapt by more than a third since the Mall extension opened with traders telling jubilant council bosses it has been 'busier than Christmas'.

In the first week of opening from Monday July 26 the number of shoppers increased by 36 per cent compared to a normal week.

Since then the weekly figures have been up 16 per cent year-on-year.

Traders said customers were shunning the likes of Preston and Manchester, while Blackburn MP Jack Straw said the new development had 'given the whole town a lift.'

A Mall spokesman described the response as 'excellent'. It is hoped the success will now attract more big-names to fill the vacant stores.

The shopping centre has been packed since its opening brought the flagship Primark store to town, as well as a Costa Coffee, and larger Next, New Look and WHSmiths.

Costa Coffee said its takings had more than doubled bosses' estimates since it opened.

And in the next few months plenty more will be on offer with further stores moving into town including shoe shop Deichmann and clothing stores Peacocks, Bank and USC. A bigger JD Sports is also taking a unit.

Mr Straw said: “When I was in there someone commented to me that it felt like a city, and it certainly felt like a Christmas with the amount of people in there.

“It’s given the whole town a lift, and once Church Street is cleared it will be buzzing even more.”

Ryman Stationery, based in the old section of the shopping centre, has recorded a 10 per cent rise in takings since the extension was opened.

Deputy manager Mark Ellison said: “The Mall is now set up to give us more trade. It's working. When the rest is finished it will be even better."

And Costa Coffee manager Raphael Marlborough said: “Before we opened, our big bosses did an estimate of how much we would take - we doubled it.

“It’s been very, very busy. Things are settling down now, but the opening weeks were absolutely fantastic.”

Despite fears the new shopping centre would dominate shopping to the detriment of other areas, traders based in the rest of the town also said takings were up.

This brings to an end to the slump caused by the credit crunch and the building work in Church Street.

Alan Hargreaves, from carpet store Counsell and Woan, which recently moved to Darwen Street, said: "We have done really well throughout August and a lot of the traders here have said that there is a noticeable difference in town since the Mall extension opened.

"The last seven days in particular have been noticeably busy and it is great for a lot of the shops."

Fellow Darwen Street trader Rose Fowler, of Mercers Toys Limited, said shoppers were stopping off on the way to the new centre, providing a boost after a ‘rollercoaster’ year.

She said: "Business has definitely picked up since the precinct opened, especially with the new Primark which is very popular.”

The council’s Tory regeneration chief Alan Cottam said: “The feedback has been superb, and the comments have come back that there is no need to go to Manchester or Preston any more. I am delighted we are getting these good reports so soon.”

Comments(20)

Normal Simple D says...
11:56am Thu 9 Sep 10

Well it's positive to hear that trade is booming again, this will be greatly improved when the new market opens along with new stores in the coming months, defiantly what this town needs, Blackburn has now got a bright future.